You’ve watched the dining scenes of
‘Downton Abbey’ with wide-mouthed awe, and now you can learn how you can dine
like they do at Downton with this new fun and fully interactive course.

As part of Eat CambridgeFestival 2013, come
to Cambridge’s sophisticated

Hotel Du Vin and experience an exclusive dinner like no
other.

Photo By Liquid Photo

The UK’s leading etiquette expert William
Hanson, and his co-host Miss Sue Flay from The Secluded Tea Party, will guide
you in the Dos and Don’ts of a formal dinner.

By the end of the three-course meal, guests
will have mastered the difference between butler & silver service,
remembered which knife & fork they should use for which course, and learned
how to dress for dinner. The Dowager
Countess would be proud!

You will enjoy a specially designed menu with drinks to match especially for this event, as well as cover topics over this private dining table including...

Table manners now and then: why they still
matter

Seating plans: who sits next to Lord
Grantham?

Butler service: how to interact with Carson

The rhythm of dining (e.g. pace, waiting to
begin)

Dressing for dinner (White Tie & Black
Tie)

The British place setting – navigating your
way

The tools of the table (flatware,
glassware, cutlery & linens)

How Mrs Levinson & other non-Brits would
eat... A cautionary tale of

the American way of dining

Pudding and Dessert: not the same thing!

How to hold cutlery & glassware

Napkin placement

Polite table talk

Tricky foods (how to eat soup, burgers,
caviar & peas with finesse)

What to do when Mrs Patmore burns the
dinner: dealing with inedible meals

Unfamiliar food

How to handle difficult situations politely

Excusing yourself

Mobile phones (not very Downton but
essential for modern age!)

Smoking

Coffee, port & cigars

“Ladies, shall we?”

Taking your leave

Thank you letters

Photos By Liquid Photo

William understands that good manners and etiquette,
which are based on common sense, should be universal. He strives to
incorporate their proper use in a 21st century context, helping everyone
to become more aware of, and sensitive to, the ways in which they
conduct their lives. When he’s not stretched out on his sofa relaxing in his toweling robe watching repeats of Lark Rise to Candleford,
or tending his renowned terrace herb garden, William provides
first-class training and is a trusted advisor to private households,
business & cultural organisations and schools alike, and has worked
for several VIPs.

As well as having recently broken a world record, of which if you ask him nicely, he will tell you all about when you come to join us both for dinner.

Miss Sue Flay, whilst understanding that good manners and etiquette are important, may sometimes be in need of a little nudge in the right direction when it comes to re-training as a "Lady" herself, so she will be on hand to keep William under control (Or should that be the other way around?) and to help welcome and entertain guests throughout the entire evening, whilst also soaking up William's tales & teachings.

When she's not indulging in afternoon tea or cycling the cake back off her hips afterwards, Miss Sue Flay provides private one to one Baking Lessons in her students' homes and creates events based around tea, cake & cocktails.

Once she gets an idea in her head, sometimes there just is no stopping her.

Having appeared on BBC One's "Escape to the Country"amongst other small cameos with her passion for Afternoon Tea, she's becoming a more confident young lady by the day.

The Secluded Tea Party presents "Dine Like Downton" at dinner

with Miss Sue Flay & William Hanson to be held on:

Friday 8th March 2013

7.30pm - 10.30pm

Venue: Hotel Du Vin, Cambridge

Full details will be disclosed to guests nearer to the event

once tickets have been booked.

Guest attendance will be kept strictly confidential until you all meet

and dine together on the evening - Secrecy is our middle name.

You will be invited to dress appropriately for dinner, with a full guide on how to do so emailed to all booked guests prior to the event as an exclusive part of the event, with guide written by William himself as your first lesson within this event...

Photo By Liquid Photo

To includean exclusive Etiquette Workshop and

the following itinerary for the evening:

Guests
arrive for Sherry at 7.30pm***

We sit down to dine & learn at 8pm

Menu to include:

Butternut Squash & Sage Soup with Bread Basket

Confit of Duck with Lyonnaise Potatoes & Roast Apples,

Or

Roast Beetroot & Goats Cheese Tart

(V - please specify on booking),

served to you by our very own Mr Carson

Lemon Posset with Fresh Raspberries,

including a special surprise to challenge your manners

***

Wine, Red or White will be served,

or non alcoholic (please specify when booking)

***

Guests move into the Library around 10pm

Coffee will then be served,

where discussion & shenanigans will lead to the rather entertaining...

***

This will be the ultimate finishing school for any Downton Abbey fan (or non fan, it doesn't matter, it's a dining education for anybody & everybody!) and your manners will increase ten fold... Myself included here!

Read The Secluded Tea Party's Guestbook...

Introducing... The Secluded Tea Party Travelling Venue!

Why Not Book a Home or Garden or even an After-Work Pop-Up Tea Party in my Travelling Tea Party Venue! Contact me for more information and a chat about the endless possibilities! We Can suggest booking for Civilised Hen Parties, Birthday Parties, Children's After School Tea Parties, "Ladies Wot Do Lunch" Tea Parties, Baby Showers, Sweet 16th, 18th, even 21st & 30th Birthdays, all served with beautiful vintage mis-matching china, Home-made Afternoon Tea Treats made & served by Miss Sue Flay.

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